My Favorite Brands for Petite Women

Petite. A word I’ve heard so much of my life. Other words or phrases: small, tiny, pocket rocket, mini, little, pint-sized. I’ve accepted what I am at this point. I’m petite. Merriam-Webster defines it as “a clothing size for short women.” The Urban Dictionary defines it as “a short girl with small breast and butt, and a cute face.” I’ll take the both, but I like the latter better. Being petite has had its challenges. I tend to like taller dudes. Sometimes it looks weird to have such a little thing next to a large ogre. Another challenge that I’ve had is finding clothing that fits me. At one point, I was hemming everything. Or, I should say, getting everything hemmed. I grew tired of spending the extra money for extra fabric I didn’t need. Finding some brands with a reasonable length for my 26” inseam was important to me. I’ve now gotten really good at identifying my favorite brands for petite women in general. What’s that you say? You’re also a shorty? Or shawty? Follow me into this blog for some ideas.

One of the best founder stories I’ve ever heard, this brand is worth a purchase. Once thought of as a bra-only brand in my eyes, I decided to give Spanx pants a whirl. I’ve become not only a huge fan or their 32 C cup bras (which used to be harder to find than they are now), I also quickly established my infatuation with their pants. Soaring to the top of my favorite brands for petite women, I’ll tell you more. They aren’t traditional button-up jeans, which is so awesome. Instead they are more like jeggings, but look like jeans. I love putting them on because they gently hug my little pooch in place, and the waste comes up pretty high. So even at my ripe age of 43, I can wear…gasp!…a crop top without my entire stomach hanging out. I own various types of jean-looking pants from Spanx in several colors. Each serves its purpose, and I enjoy feeling cute and slim altogether. Their sales are decent, not great, but the pants are worth the money. Very good quality, and again, Sara Blakely is one of my business heroes.

Oh, Ann. You’ve done me right since I was a newbie professional in the technology world. I have been an on-again-off-again buyer of Ann Taylor clothing for over 20 years. It wasn’t a deliberate boycott, but sometimes you just want to try other brands out. At least I do. Experimenting on other clothing brands is fantastic and fun, but that tried and true is sure hard to beat. My petite self never felt so seen as walking into an Ann Taylor or Ann Taylor Loft. They actually have a dedicated petite section. As you can see, AT is by far one of my favorite brands for petite women. As I’ve gotten into my 40s, I have come back around to appreciating clothing that covers my entire body, is classy, and timeless. One of my favorite dresses that I have owned for over 10 years is still kicking in my closet. And I wear it! If you haven’t given Ann a try, please do. Good news: they do regular size people clothing too. Could it get any better than this?

A brand I discovered through an influencer, I have quickly become a bit obsessed with Boden. This company is UK-based but many of their clothes have flair from all over, including France and the United States. It’s a versatile brand. And they are one of the best brands for petite women, in my opinion. I’ve enjoyed pants, dresses, and skirts from the petite section of this primarily online-based company. Another thing I love is that they post the real reviews from people. There is no fluffing around some of the things said about some of the pieces, and it gives true insight to decide if you want to buy the item or not. I also like that many women state their size and sometimes bust size. We all know that makes a huge difference in how things fit. The sales are ahhhhmazing. I always wait until things go on sale, and then if you wait more, they announce an extra percentage off. Patience is a virtue I have when purchasing clothes, because I do really like buying a lot of clothes.

While many of the items from Madewell fit me just fine, I love that they have the petite pants option. This is by far one of my favorite brands for petite women to date, and you can fight me on that. You can see from my favorite summer shoe brands post that they are near and dear to me, and the fact that they acknowledge my kind (as in petite) makes me love them even more. You’ll mostly find jeans and pants in the petite section, but isn’t that where we struggle the most? Dresses and skirts we can usually get away with the regular people length, but pants are hard. Their prices are typically reasonable and not nearly as steep as the more premium brands, but hey…style changes faster than dirty underwear in a hot humid climate. Why spend a ton of money on something you might be passing on in the next year or two?

There are occasions that I just want what I want. If I do want pants by brands that don’t have petite lengths, I have realized what my inseam is and I will shop the “cropped” pants of other brands. I know the range of lengths that could possibly work on me, and I go from there. This is all with online shopping, if you haven’t gathered that already. I’ve gotten perfectly sized pants and jeans by using this hack, and I’d encourage you to do the same. It takes some time and effort to go through and see what are the inseams of all the different pants from all the different brands, but it’s part of being petite. Am I right, shorties? Take the time, don’t give up, and find what works for you. Size matters. We matter. Short people matter. We’re in this together.

Have any of these brands ignited something in you? Are you ready to try out a new brand and have your own favorite brands for petite women? I love giving information on things that I have spent so much time researching and trying out. It’s been a labor of love to test different brands, different materials, fits, and not be scared to purchase online. They make it so easy now to return that there really is no excuse not to try something new out. So, my fellow, petite things, let’s feel good in clothing together. No more dragging pants or paying for hemming. We are going on strike from that. Thank you to these brands for seeing us and doing something about this issue. I’ll be forever loyal because of it.